Hurricane Tim Finchem and PGA Tour get it right in New Orleans

With all the excitement surrounding Bush, it’ll be easy to minimize the PGA Tour’s role in this pivotal weekend. But after Katrina, commish Tim Finchem could’ve easily followed the government’s lead and simply ignored New Orleans. Katrina left the TPC of Louisiana battered and bruised (it’s still months away from reopening), giving Finchem a clear opening to move the event. To his credit, Finchem remained committed to New Orleans, and the Tour was a major presence in the city last week, starting with an economic summit and culminating with a surprise winner at English Turn.

I don’t make a habit of praising Finchem, but he got it right this time. (In the end, though, players such as David Toms, Ben Crane and Phil Mickelson really made the greatest impact.) In fact, it was a good week for commissioners all around. LPGA boss Carolyn Bivens could have blocked Dakoda Dowd’s dramatic story in Florida, hiding behind some obscure bylaw. Instead, she helped make it happen, giving Dowd’s family a reason to smile through the pain. Something the city of New Orleans can certainly relate to this morning.

3 comments

I'm sure that Finchem's insistance that the Zurich Classic be staged in New Orleans had more to do with making sure that Zurich's sponsor check was delivered to TOUR coffers than any altruistic feelings for the devastated city. The opportunity to turn this crass profit motive into a cynical public relations windfall was merely a collateral benefit. The TOUR is strictly about big money and its gigantic "non-profit" 401C3's tax deductability scam for their multi-national "sponsors".

Doug, I've got to take exception to your statement that the government ignored the plight of the city of New Orleans. Katrina was a monumental catastrophe and a logistical nightmare. The airport and roads were blocked and flooded. Massive aid came through as soon as it was logistically possible. The US Coast Guard is an integral part of Federal law enforcement with the Dept. of Transportation. The Coast Guard performed thousands of rooftop rescues as well as thousands of others by boat and vehicle. The US Army and Marine Corps distributed huge amounts of food, water, and supplies as soon as it became feasible. All of these agencies are parts of the government. Of course, nothing is ever perfect in a disaster of this magnitude. However, it is important to remember that first response to any local emergency is not now, nor never has been, the responsibilty of the Federal government.

TravelGolf.com's Doug Carey blog chronicles all the news and current events in the golf and travel world. Plus he offers his take on PGA and LPGA headlines, Tiger Woods, Michelle Wie and the latest in golf balls and equipment.